The Product in the Center of the Shelf Is the Winner

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In a study involving fictitious brands of vitamins, energy drinks, and other items, a team led by A. Selin Atalay, of HEC Paris, found that a product got longer looks and was more likely to be chosen when it was in the center of a horizontal array (purchased 44% of the time), rather than at the left (purchased 24% of the time) or the right (purchased 32% of the time).

A version of this article appeared in the November 2012 issue of Harvard Business Review.